Battery issues

This forum has been such a help in the past, Bob the newbie in central PA is dipping into the pool of knowledge again.  I have two questions here regarding battery usage and my trailer setup (Coachman APEX 25?)  When I bought the trailer, used direct from the previous owner, he recommended I disconnect the battery while it is being stored or it will go dead.  There is one accessory that will not turn off when all else is shut down, the entertainment center.  I have yet to see any way to kill power to the entertainment center.  The off button merely turns the functions off but the small screen stays lit.  Is this normal? 

So here is the second question.  Since I disconnect the battery each time I put the trailer in storage, I obviously need to reconnect it if I want to work on anything in the trailer.  I went to do some work in my trailer this afternoon out at the storage lot and when I tried to get the slide out to open, there was no power.  There is a type of circuit breaker attached to the battery for some reason and this apparently had tripped.  I was able to get it to reset and get the slide to open up but when I went to close it the power was dead again.  This circuit breaker is old and needs to be replaced or eliminated.  It looks like it sits between the trailer harness plug to the truck bumper and the hot side of the battery.  Has anyone seen this kind of setup and can explain the reason for it?  I took the picture to the local auto parts store and they did not have a clue.  Is this needed or can I just remove it and connect it directly to the hot side of the battery?  We have had a good deal of rain this season and that trailer harness plug has been sitting out in the rain since we last used the trailer, perhaps that is what is causing the short circuit causing it to trip.  I did not think of that until just now. 

Any suggestions on either of these questions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks
Bob (the newbie in central PA)

That circuit breaker is there for a reason, so I'd not bypass it. Replacement would be OK, though. An auto parts store may not have some parts that are common in RVs. Some RV dealers have a pretty good parts department, so you might check that.

But the breaker might have tripped because of a low battery. If the battery is low, then the lower voltage means more current is needed, and that extra may have been enough to trip the breaker.

I suspect that others with more direct knowledge of your rig will be along soon.

Thanks, My picture is too big and I can?t get it to upload.  I am trying to get a smaller version of it to add. 

When you disconnect from storage.. Is this battery where you can reach it with the rig all closed up (From outside) if so remove the NEGATIVE cable from the battery and set it aside. only way to truly disconnect.  Also if you can a battery Tender is a good idea. Or better yet

Paint the POSITIVE wire(s) red and negative Black, Spray paint or nail polish work

Remove NEGATIVE lead if more than one tie 'em together

Remove POSITIVE wires (usually more than one) and tie them together

Remove battery

Place battery in storage (your garage at home .or basement) on a piece of scrap lumber and hook up a battery tender.

Why on scrap lumber.. Sometimes there is a bit of acid on the outside of the battery, this can damage, or stain, a floor.. The scrap wood cost nothing to replace.

Bobbyg said:

The off button merely turns the functions off but the small screen stays lit.  Is this normal? 
Bob (the newbie in central PA)

Click to expand...

Mine is the same way.  I installed a batter disconnect. My Propane gas leak detector is a parasite as well.


How old is your battery?  How long has it been sitting since you used it?  How hot has it been?  You might need a new deep cell battery.  In a pinch, you can run jumper cables from your Truck to the battery to give your TT a boost to operate the slide.

Here is the picture.

It has only been a few weeks since we last used the trailer.  And we bought a new battery this spring.  Ultimately I was able to get the circuit breaker to allow me to close up.  I think I need to replace it.  I will try our trailer supply store and perhaps our local tractor supply. 

The off button merely turns the functions off but the small screen stays lit.  Is this normal? 

Click to expand...

Yes. It's a very tiny power draw so fine for most uses, but even a tiny load mounts up over weeks or months.

The circuit breaker is there mostly to protect the tow vehicle, but also the trailer wire to it. A  battery that is severely discharged can suck a lot of amps and the wire, trailer plug, and tow vehicle wiring may not be able to handle the high amps.  If your tow vehicle is properly wired, it should have a circuit breaker or fuse on the 12v source as well.
For convenience, add a battery disconnect switch at the negative (ground) terminal of the battery. Something like this is simple and easy, but there are several types.

https://www.delcity.net/store/Quick-Disconnect-Lead-Battery-Terminal/p_820519.h_820520.r_IF1003?mkwid=sPP7k3EsP
https://www.zoro.com/battery-doctor-battery-disconnect-switch-negative-12v-20308/i/G3024804/feature-product

I'm VERY new to RV, but at work we have buses that we only use daily 4 mths a yr, after that it is random infrequent use. We use solar batter tenders and a disconnect switch on the batteries. I just had to replace the batteries on one bus that were over 8 yrs old. The guy at the truck repair said he had never seen 8 yr old batteries that were still in service.

A quick search shows they are about ~$60 so seems a great investment. I will be putting them on my RV when I get it.

rbTN said:

I'm VERY new to RV, but at work we have buses that we only use daily 4 mths a yr, after that it is random infrequent use. We use solar batter tenders and a disconnect switch on the batteries. I just had to replace the batteries on one bus that were over 8 yrs old. The guy at the truck repair said he had never seen 8 yr old batteries that were still in service.

A quick search shows they are about ~$60 so seems a great investment. I will be putting them on my RV when I get it.

Click to expand...

Before you jump in with those, using that sort of battery will depend on where/how you intend to use it, chassis (starter) or house batteries. The batteries you described do not sound from your description to be the deep discharge type you will require for house batteries.

Whie it is true the starting batteries on the busses are not DEEP CYCLE type we use for house batteries. The charge profile for absorption/float is the same.. Only bulk is different.  So the solar maintainer should work equally as well.  You might. however, need two (or 3) only time can tell Depending on how much sun you get and how much battery. I have a lot of battery, which yesterday turned out to be a good thing as I was without 120v for several hours due to multiple issues .. All of which are now history.

THe last one was a bad dog bone so I went to the store I figured would have it. No joy. ON a hunch I headed across the intersection to the lumber yard. Not only did they have it but Camco Power Pull. the exact one I wanted !!!!!  I like that lumber yard!